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100 Years Later, Owens Valley Still Worries About Water Losses To L.A.

"Lone Pine, Calif. -- Rancher John Lacey eyed a rising pasture where water once flowed when his great-grandfather settled in the Owens Valley to find gold. A century after Los Angeles diverted the Owens River, grass once suitable for feeding cows has long been replaced by desert shrubs."

"'This canal was (once) full of water,' said Lacey, 48, of Independence, pointing out a dry culvert crossing land he leases from the L.A. Department of Water and Power. 'From here back to the river, a lot of it was farms.

'It’s been dry 100 years. You’ve got sand dunes. A lot of the topsoil has gone. There’s no water. The water table is very deep … this is not a production place for cows.'"